


Now and always

by uzumahoe



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F, Friendship, My heart bleeds, bounding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-19 18:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19137934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uzumahoe/pseuds/uzumahoe
Summary: Mikoto wants to brush Kushina’s hair.





	Now and always

**Author's Note:**

> I want to die, this is all my sadness in a small one shot.

"Do you want me to brush your hair?"

Deep blue eyes, almost purple, widened at the request. Nobody ever asked her before except from her mother back at Uzushio and she felt herself blink several times before looking at the young woman in front of her.

Her porcelain skin was glowing with a small genuine smile, her black hair framing her beautiful features and equally dark eyes plunging into her gaze.

"Sure, if you want to." She lets out, stunned by the intimacy of the gesture and the link she felt between them. She comes on her knees, looking forward, facing the calm forest under the hotness of the summer. She sighs, glad that they are in the cold shade of the house. She hears the other woman hum to herself as she buries her long fingers into the wild and thick locks of red hair.

"Kushina, your hair is gorgeous."

She never told her that, even if they knew each other since they were children, she never told her to her face although she never said it was hideous like everybody stated.

Her heart stirs. "Is that so?" She asks, feeling the brush running on her hair, taming the bumps and untangling the long strands. Mikoto takes some hair into her hand and caresses it with such delicacy that Kushina shudders under the affliction.

"I like the colour. It’s really pretty." She breathes in the scent of her friend, it smelled like flowers and peach and it brings a wider smile to Mikoto‘s pale lips. "It makes me think about dawn and the way the sun awakes in the early hours of the day. It’s intense and vibrant. It always smells so good wherever you go and I like it so much."

She breathes and continues stroking the hair pooling in her hands. "The texture is very soft, I like touching it. Would you allow me to braid it ?" She feels her friend nod and she starts intertwining the locks of hair.

She wished she could see Kushina’s face, see the redness on her cheeks and the lovely purple hue of her surprised eyes. Mikoto touches her friend’s neck, sending shivers through the pale skin.

"Do you miss Uzushio?" She dares to ask, feeling adventurous and so—so _special_ —braiding the charming woman’s hair.

"I do."

It was only a shaky whisper.

"I liked that I could see the blue sea from my window. In my memory it always smelled like salt and the beating sun of noon for the days and the comfortable warmth of the starry nights when sun had died in the horizon. I-" She breathes sharply but Mikoto knows her best friend will continue, she doesn’t stop massaging her shoulders along the way. "I would leave the compound, going in the garden’s bathed in Sun and reach to smell the lemons my mother cherished. I would run in the street even if my father would shout at me for not following his orders. I remember the houses of colourful clays. It was joyful and alive. Very different from here."

She felt the voice becoming dry and unforgiving, making her regret her question. Mikoto would gladly hug Kushina right now, but she continued her long braids anyway, deciding that pity wasn’t what her friend needed. If her clan came to die she would dismiss pity. It would be too much for her. Too smothering.

"Were you alone when you came here?" The dark haired woman asks, almost finished.

"Aren’t you curious Mikoto!" Her friend teases, barely turning her face so she cold send a side-eyed glance to the other young woman.

"Don’t move." Mikoto says, putting her hands on the others cheeks so that she would turn her head. "It’s just that I like talking to you and it’s not something we discussed before."

She smiled at the image of a little Kushina running everywhere in the street, her beautiful laugh ringing in people’s ears.

Kushina cleared her throat. "Yes I came alone. My mother and father had to take all our things to flee to Konoha but they wanted me, the...chosen host, to arrive first and accustom to the city and the accent.." She says, still looking forward but this time with tenderness leaving her lips.

"I remember your thick accent." Mikoto says, contemplating the softness of the brushed hair. "It was strong and you were rolling the r’s with fierceness and temper. It was fitting, for your boisterous personality." She huffs and leans to pinch her friend’s cheek causing the latter to jump in surprise and squeal.

"I guess the accent is coming back when I’m in a bad mood." She chuckles, holding her cheek with her hand.

Mikoto’s mind wandered, wondering if their friendship will still be the same when they’ll be old and grumpy. Gossiping about the younger women in the village and sharing their old, equally grumpy husbands’ secrets. Mikoto smiled when she came to the conclusion that she would brush and compliment Kushina’s hair until her death if it could make her happy each time.

She blushed and her eyes were suddenly nostalgic when the red-haired woman turned around to face her best friend. "Are you finished ?" She asks, looking at the braids she could reach with her eyes.

Mikoto nodded. "It’s so pretty!" Kushina beams,"It looks like when my mother was making them!"

"I’m glad you like it." Mikoto says, warmth spreading in her heart when she saw that bright grin.

Without any warning, Kushina tackled her on the mat with a powerful hug which prevented her from escaping the strong yet gentle touch. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Wha-"

"You’re the second person that compliments my hair you know." She let that sink in and Mikoto shivered under her.

"Was Minato the first one?" Kushina hums, still holding tight. When they straightened and parted, Mikoto could see that her friend’s face was all red with tears.

She let out a loud sob that could alert anyone. "I love you so much!" She says, rubbing her eyes like a toddler. Mikoto let out a small laugh.

"I love you too, Kushina. No need to cry!"

"I think you’ll always be my best friend!" She whimpers, tears rolling on her reddened cheeks.

_She’s so beautiful when she cries._

Mikoto’s mouth parts. "You’ll be mine. Now and always."


End file.
